State Machine Diagrams

A State Machine Diagram in Modeldraw is a behavioral diagram that describes the different states an object can be in and how that object transitions from state to state in response to events. It's particularly useful for modeling the lifecycle of an object or the behavior of a system with distinct operational modes.

With State Machine Diagrams in Modeldraw, you can:

• Visualize the various states of an object or system

• Illustrate how an object changes states in response to events

• Model complex behaviors and workflows

• Represent the lifecycle of an entity from creation to termination

• Show conditions that trigger state transitions

• Describe actions that occur upon entering or exiting a state

• Model hierarchical and concurrent behaviors using advanced features

Key Components

A state machine diagram in Modeldraw consists of several key components:

• State

• Transition

• Initial State

• Final State

State

Represents a condition or situation in the life of an object during which it satisfies some condition, performs some activity, or waits for an event. Drawn as a rectangle with rounded corners.

Transition

Shows a change from one state to another. Represented by an arrow between states. Can include events, guards, and actions

Initial State

Indicates the starting point of the state machine. Represented by a filled black circle.

Final State

Denotes the end of the state machine. Drawn as a circle surrounding a smaller filled circle.

Advanced Features

Modeldraw offers several advanced features for state machine diagrams:

• Superstate (Composite State)

• Concurrent Boundary

• History Pseudostate

Superstate

A state that contains nested states. Allows for hierarchical organization of states. Represented by a state shape containing other state shapes.

Concurrent Boundary

Defines regions of concurrent behavior within a superstate. Allows modeling of parallel activities. Drawn as areas separated by dashed lines within a superstate.

History Pseudostate

Indicates that the object can return to its most recent sub-state. Useful for modeling systems that need to remember their last active state. Represented by a circle containing an 'H' (shallow history) or 'H*' (deep history).